Show fit 1r PRESIDENTS WIDOW MRS JONES WAS FIRST LADY OF TEXAS REPUDLIC Judge Who Performed Marriage Ceremony Cere-mony In 1840 Killed by Indians Shortly After Near Austln Her Adventurous Life Austin TexI Mra Anson Jones who died the other day was ono of tho most historic women of Texas She was tho widow of Dr Anson Jones who was president of tho Republic of Texas during tho period Just prevl OilS to the annexation of tho commonwealth common-wealth to the United States Mrs Jones as first lady of tho land presided pre-sided at many social functions which wore given at the capital of the youuu republic In thoso early days foreign ambassadors woro located In Austin and despite tho activity of tho Indians In-dians who kept thorn In constant dread of being killed these representative of foreign governments managed to have 11 very pleasant time The marriage of Dr and Mrs Jones took place in Austin in May 1S40 Tho cildlng trousseau was brought all tho way from Houston to Austin a distance dis-tance of ISO miles by oxcart Judgo James Smith who married Dr and Mrs Jones was killed by Indians In-dians while out riding near Austin a short time after ho had performed tho ceremony Mrs Jones related many Interesting incidents that occurred In tho Texas capital during tho time that liar husband hus-band was president of the republic She said that the foreign nmbassadois seldom traveled oven a short distance Into tho country out of Austin without being provided with a guard to pro vent attack by Indians On ono occasion oc-casion tho French ambassador M Do Sallgny wanted to talto a ploasuro rldo a short way beyond the outskirts = l y T I I n I 4 RJ krO oPLJ of town He applied to ° President Jones for an armed guard to accom pony him Tho guard waq not available avail-able Just at tho time and President Jones Informed the ambassador that hd was unable to comply with his request re-quest The Frenchman became mad Boned and excited when his request mot with refusal Mrs Jqncs said Ho exclaimed as ho left the presidents presence Irin hurt r j I hope ad Indian Will kill me Then see what France will do Tho ambassador went on his ride alone and returned safely Dr Jones the last president of tho Texas republic waSa native of Massachusetts Massa-chusetts He canto to Texas In 1833 before the new republic was born and located at Brazoria He Soon became prominent In the political affairs of the country after Independence from Mexico was gained Ho was a member of the Texas congress In 1838 and that same year ho was appointed minister min-ister to the United States from Texas He represented this republic at WashIngton Wash-Ington for two years and returned to his home to fill tho ofllco of senator to which ho had been elected Tho seat of government was moved from Austin to Washington Tex In 1842 while Dr Jones was president He named the executive mansion at Washington Barrlngton In honor of Great Harrington Mass the place of his nativity Dr Jones died In 1858 His widow lived for somo time In Galveston and In 1879 she moved to Houston where she has since resided rite early life of this remarkable woman before her marrlagq to Di Jones was full of adventure and excitement ex-citement She was born In Lawrence county Arkansas and was the eldest i child of John C and Sarah Smith Her a father died In 1827 In 1833 she accompanied ac-companied her mother on an overland i trip from Arkansas to Texas and when they reached Brazoria county they joined Austins colony When word reached them that Gen Santa Ania and his MeXicnn army were advancing i upqn the colony thief tnade R hunted + flight with other settlers to the eastern east-ern part of Texas When they learned l that Gen Sam Houstons forces were victorious at tho battle of San Jac nto I the mother and daughter returned to their home which had boon made desolate deso-late by tho Invading forces 1 OJ rt t l Mt |